


To Bottle or Not, That is the Question

by helsinkibaby



Category: Law & Order: UK
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-31
Updated: 2011-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-27 20:10:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1721042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt wants to ask Alesha out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Bottle or Not, That is the Question

**Author's Note:**

> For the writers choice “bottle” challenge. At this point, I should point out that “bottle” is a UK slang word for “nerve”; “bottling out” means not doing something because you’re afraid.

You can do this.

You can do this.

You think.

It’s not like you’ve never asked a woman out before. Some of them, your inner voice reminds you, sounding too much like Ronnie for comfort, even said yes.

But this isn’t any woman, you find yourself arguing back.

It’s Alesha.

Alesha, who happens to be your friend. Who happens to be someone you work with. A lot. Who’s been through a lot over the last few months. Do you really want to mess that up if dating doesn’t work out?

Then you find yourself picturing Alesha’s face. Her eyes. A smile that has the power to quite literally make your heart skip a beat and you don’t care if your inner Ronnie is smirking at that. The fact of the matter is, Alesha is clever, she’s funny, she’s beautiful...

She’s way out of your league.

And yet, you still find yourself going back and forth, wondering what if.

So today you’ve decided. You’re going to walk into her office, you’re going to go up to her and you’re going to ask her out for a drink, if only to shut up both the real and imaginary Ronnie. What’s the worst that could happen after all?

There’s a voice in your head that tries to answer; you shut it down. You’ve made your decision and you’re not going to bottle out now.

You walk in the door, just like you planned. Unlike you planned, she’s already got her coat on and she looks at you with beseeching eyes.

“Please don’t tell me you’re here about the case,” she begins and you hold up your hands quickly, shake your head.

“I just wanted to ask you a question. A non work related one,” you hear yourself saying and she visibly relaxes.

“OK. But how about we do it over dinner? I skipped lunch and I’m starving.” A cheeky smile lights up her face, goes all the way up to her eyes. “I’ll even let you pay.”

An answering smile spreads across your face. “Just what I had in mind.”  



End file.
